It is against the policy or general orders of the D.C. Police Department to chase any vehicle for a traffic offense. Even if Sterling were riding his motorcycle in a "reckless" manner as the department said in its initial press release, the officers would have had to get permission from a supervisor in order to give chase.

Now, nearly six months later, the D.C. government is admitting the officers ignored the department's vehicle pursuit policy.

In its reply to the lawsuit, attorneys representing the city wrote, "Admitted. Further answering, the officers were pursuing Mr. Terrence Sterling who was fleeing at the time."

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As FOX 5 has previously reported, two sources familiar with the investigation and the police radio traffic that night say when the report of a motorcyclist driving recklessly was first broadcasted, a supervisor keyed his radio and told the officers on the channel not to chase.

Kandace Simms told FOX 5 the day after the shooting that she was in her car stopped at the light and heard no commands from the officer before the shots were fired.

According to the D.C. Police Department's general orders, the officers involved in the shooting that morning may have also disobeyed three other department policies. Officer Brian Trainer, who the department has named as the officer who fired the shots, did not turn on his body-worn camera until after the shooting. The driver of the cruiser used the car to block a moving vehicle, and according to witnesses, Officer Trainer fired from inside the police cruiser, and at a motorcycle that may have still been moving at the time.

In a request for comment, deputy mayor for public safety Kevin Donahue said, "Because this incident is under active investigation by the U.S. Attorney's Office and is the subject of ongoing litigation, we cannot offer any comments on it. We once again extend our condolences to Mr. Sterling's family."

D.C. Police had a similar response, Dustin Sternbeck, a spokesman for the department said, "we cannot provide comment specific to pending litigation."

A grand jury continues to investigate the shooting and the two officers involved remain on administrative leave.

Jason Downs, an attorney for the Sterling family says in a statement, "More than five months after Terrence Sterling's tragic killing, the District of Columbia admits that the officers were pursuing Terrence. This raises more questions than answers. MPD's policy clearly forbids police officers to chase motorcycles for traffic infractions. Despite the District's startling revelation, Terrence's family remains hopeful that the government will conduct an honest and transparent investigation regarding the officers' deviation from standards that exist to protect police officers and the public."

The lawsuit was filed in December and is seeking $50 million in damages.